Towing device for automobiles.



D. V. EICHIN & E. P. & A. H. ZIMMERLY TOWING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES. APPLICATION FILED APR.7, 1914,

1,123,262. Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

3SHEETESHEET 1.

. f A/zz/mmer/ D. V. EIOHIN & E. F. & A. H. ZIMMERLY.

TOWING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

AYPLIOATION FILED APR.7, 1914. 1,123,262. Patented Jan.5,1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

zi'a

l K w -l:

D. v. BIGHIN 1. P. & A. H. ZIMMERLY TOWING DEVICE FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED APRJ, 1914.

1,123,262. Patented Jan.5,191 5.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

7 fix am am remand or 1 norm'nn v. nrcnin, nnwnnn F. ZIMMERLY, AND nanon n. ZIMMERLY, or OLNEY,

TLLINGIS.

TOWING nnvicn non n'utroiviomnns.

Application filed-Apri17, 1914.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that we, DONALD V. EICEIN, Ebwann F. ZIMMERLY, ELHd AARON H. ZIM- I "Manny, citizens of the United States, re-

towing device for automobiles, our object siding at Olney, in the"county of Bichland and State of Illinois, have jointly invented a new and useful Towing Device for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

Ourj invention relates to an improved being to do away with the use ofropes and cables; to provide a-device that will autoin'the description and claims and in the accompanying illustrations of our invention. We attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which--' Figure 1 is a side elevation of our device applied to two automobiles; Fig. 2 is a top plan view of our towing device, as applied to an automobile having rod D located in front of instead of in the rear of axle C as in Fig. 1;Fig. 3 is a cross sectiontaken approximately on line 3-3 of l ig.2;l* ig. Al

is a view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1; Fig. H is' a detail of the preferred means for at-, taching the device to the forward vehicle.

Like characters of reference refer to like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the accompanying drawings which illustrate our invention, A indicates the forward vehicle; B the rear vehicle which is to be towed; C the axle of that ve hiclej'and D the, steering rod of the rear vehicle.

The invention comprisesa pull rod 15; means for attaching the pull rod to a towing vehicle; means for attaching the device to the-forward axle of the towedvehicle;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 5, 1915.

Serial No. 330,132.

ball-and-socket mechanism pivotally securing the aforesaid mechanism to the pull rod 15; and means operatively connected with the pull rod for steering the rear velncle. For the latter purpose an auxiliary device is employed as will hereafter be explained.

The means which we have devised for attaching the device to the forward axle of the towed vehicle permit of adjustment to axles of various sizes and shapes, and comprise opposite slotted axle clips 1 and 1 (which preferably have a leather lining. not illustrated), which are secured to the axlev by bolt 5, plate -6 and nuts 7, as illus trated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, like members being provided for either side, spaced apart, or in other words, on portions of the axle adjacent opposite wheels. A bottom axle plate 3 is aliixed to and connects clips 1, as-

shown in Fig. 4.

The ball-and-socket mechanism for-pii'ot ally connecting the pull rod with the means for attachment to the towed vehicle comprises a ball member 8 having its upper portion afiixed to plate 3; opposite socket members 10, an intermediate socket member .11, packing 12 between the socket members,

and. fastening members 524. Socket memhers 10 are provided with a grooved portion 52-, as illustrated in Fig. 3, to permit of free pivotal movement relative to ball mem-. her 8. One of the socket members 10 is screwed or otherwise affixed to pull rod 15; and the opposite socket member has similhrly aflixed to it a member 13.,

y The pull rod 15 is provided with suitablemeans for its attachment to a towing vehicle, which preferably comprises a hook 25, block 26 having a groove 27 (preferably), and a lock nut 28. We may provide a suitable member 30 for hook 25 to engage with, or may provide clamp or other fastening device for securing the pull rod to the rear portion of the frame of the forward or towing vehicle. We provide means operatively connected with pull rod 15 for antomatically steering the rear vehicle, com-.

prising a suitable slotted guiding. member,

which may be either member 13, having a slot 14, as illustrated in Fig. 2, or a member 16' having a slotted portion 17, this device being longitudinally adjustable on pull rod .15 by means of nut 9, as indicated in Fig. 2, and means connected with the steering rod of the towed vehicle engaging in the slotted guiding member. The latter means comprises, preferably, opposite slotted steering rod clips 19 and 20, adjustably fastened to the steering rod by means of bolt 23, plate 21 and nuts22. A depending member 18, formed on or affixed rigidly to clip 19 extends either through slot 14 of member 13, when used with a vehicle of the I type shown in Fig. 1, or with the slot in member 17 when the vehicle is of the type having the steering rod disposed forward of the front axle, as is contemplated by Figs. 2 and 8. The pull rod 15, which we prefer to employ is bent as indicated in the drawings, and is of relatively short length--about six feet-so that there is no loss of power as is the case where cables are employed. The cars are maintained in close proximity.

In operation, the clips 1 and 4c are secured to the front axle of the-vehicle to be towed in the manner shown in the accompanying illustrations (which it should be noted permit of adjustment to any size or shape of axle, by reason of the slots in the clips and plate 6); depending member or rod 18 is inserted tl'nvough the slot 14 in member-13 if the towed automobile has its steering rod in the rear of its front axleor through slottedmember 17-if the towed automobile has its steering rod forward of its frontaxle; .pull rod is secured to the forward vehicle in the preferred manner and the rear vehicle may be towed and automatically guided by my device, pivotal movement of the'pull rod sidewise actuating the guiding member (member 14: or member 16 as the case may be) which in turn actuates depending member 18 and thus moves the steeringrpd to which it is rigidly secured by clips 19 and 20 and plate 21, as illustrated. The ball and socket mechanism permits of pivotal movement either laterally or vertically, as will be obvious, and dispenses with the necessity forthe more cumbersome, more expensive and less efiicient universal joints, which might otherwise be necessary. It may be taken apart by removing fastening members 2 1, as is apparent from an inspection of Fig. 3. .Efiicient lubrication is provided by packing 12.

It is within the contemplation of our invention to use any suitable means for securing the pull rod to the forward vehicle, it being, however, attached to the rear frame of the forward vehicle (or optionally to both springs) and'not tothe axle of the front car, which is liable to injury from strain. We prefer to employ the attaching means shown in Fig. 5, as beinn the most advanta- 'otally connecting the pull rod with the rear vehicle; means for attaching the aforesaid ball-and-socket mechanism to the forward axle of the rear o'r towed vehicle; a rearwardly-disposed slotted guiding memberaffixed to the aforesaid mechanism; and a slotted guiding member adjustably attached to the pull rod for adjustment to vehicles having difi'cring relative arrangements of steering rods and front axles; and means attached to the steering rod, including a depending element engageable with either of the aforesaid slotted guiding members independently.

v 2. The combination of a pull rod; having a hook at its forward end for attaching it tothe rear frame of a forward vehicle; means for locking the aforesaid hook firmly to the forward vehicle; balland-socket mechanism pivotally connecting the pull rod with steering rod of the rear vehicle for automatically guiding that vehicle. a

. 3. The combination of a pull rod; means for attaching the pull rod to a towing vehicle; ball-and-socket mechanism pivotally connecting the'pull rod with the rear vehicle; opposite, adjustable slotted clip and plate members and fastening means therefor for adjustably attaching the device to forward axle of a rear or towed vehicle to which the ball and socket mechanism is operatively connected; similar adjustable, slotted clip and plate members, including a depending member, adjustably secured to a steering rod of the rear vehicle; and a guiding member attached to the pull rod and engageable therewith, substantially as described.

4-. The combination of a pull rod; means vehicle; one 01' mars slotted uidin "i to the pull rod; and means, inchzaling 215131151. L

magma bars operatively connected. wins or ta?- able slotted clips, for operatively {:OIIHECL' ing the guiding member with the steering rod of any rear vehicle, substantially as set forth.

In Witness whereof We ham herein aifixed signa'mfres the presence of-two Wit- DGNALD V EICHIN.

ED'WARD F. Z MMERLL AARGN H. ZIMMERLY. Witnesses 1 PowEn-s,

UTERCHI. 

